Poor border controls are leaving British citizens at risk to paedophiles and murderers

Poor border controls are leaving British citizens at risk to paedophiles and murderers

Lax border controls that put our citizens in danger.

PUBLISHED: 07:12, Thu, Oct 8, 2015
| UPDATED: 07:48, Thu, Oct 8, 2015

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Our border policies are putting UK citizens in danger

Britain’s woeful border controls are putting people at risk.

In the latest horrifying incident a paedophile whom we deported back to Ecuador was allowed to return to this country.

All it took to get around our lax immigration procedures was for Juan Alejandro Guerra to change his name to Juan Guerra Landazuri and exploit his dual citizenship to get a Spanish passport. He was even able to get a job working with teenagers.

Landazuri had a criminal record here after assaulting a teenager but still border officers and police failed to stop him. And when he applied for a job with young people – something he is banned for life from doing – nobody batted an eyelid when he left a vital section of his job application blank.

This whole story is wearyingly familiar. How many times have we heard about Polish murderers, Lithuanian rapists or Estonian paedophiles coming to this country? And how often, as in Landazuri’s case, are their horrifying pasts only discovered after they commit another crime or have an allegation made against them?

Brussels’s freedom of movement rules are a boon for criminals who can leave their records behind when they cross international borders. If we have to leave the EU to keep our streets safe from such monsters, then that is exactly what we must do.

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Putin is being reckless

Putin’s actions in Syria are deeply worrying. The Russian leader might claim to be fighting IS but actions speak louder than words.

Most of his forces’ attacks have been on rebel-controlled areas implying that his main aim is to prop up the dictator Bashar al-Assad. At present tackling the jihadists seems to be at best an afterthought for both Assad and Putin.

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Putin yesterday playing ice hockey on his 63rd birthday

Yesterday his forces destroyed a weapons depot used by US-trained rebels and Russian aircraft have also strayed into airspace over Turkey, a Nato member. The best way to resolve the crisis in Syria and rid the world of IS is unclear.

But when Russia and the West back opposing sides in a conflict the outcome has never been anything less than disastrous.

Describing these developments as the return of the Cold War would be needlessly alarmist but our politicians and diplomats must do all they can to keep this situation under control.

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Can’t beat home cooking

ALMOST half of under-35s would serve a takeaway at a family get-together, says a survey.

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Half of under-35s would serve a takeaway at a family get-together

What a shame that the experience of sharing a lovingly prepared meal is being lost.